Eraser (1996)

A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.

Director:

Chuck Russell (as Charles Russell)

Writers:

Tony Puryear (story), Walon Green (story)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Eraser
James Caan	...	DeGuerin
Vanessa Williams	...	Lee
James Coburn	...	Beller
Robert Pastorelli	...	Johnny C
James Cromwell	...	Donahue
Danny Nucci	...	Monroe
Andy Romano	...	Harper
Nick Chinlund	...	Calderon
Michael Papajohn	...	Schiff
Joe Viterelli	...	Tony
Mark Rolston	...	J. Scar
John Slattery	...	Corman
Robert Miranda	...	Frediano
Roma Maffia	...	Claire

Storyline

U.S. Marshal deputy John Kruger is one of the toughest Marshals, his methods are to "Erase" The identities of his witnesses he is assigned to protect. Meanwhile, a woman named Lee Cullen who works for a corporation named Cyrez performed an undercover job for the FBI to unveil a top secret weapon which uses an electromagnetic pulse to dispatch targets. Cyrez discovered this about Lee and are now out to kill her, Kruger's job is now to protect Lee so she can testify against Cyrez. But, when Kruger was assigned to perform a job with another Marshal named Robert Deguerin, he discovers that Deguerin is behind some kind of scam that will involve the EM Gun, which will change hands to a Russian criminal if Kruger does not stop them, Kruger must not only protect Lee's life but his own.

---

Plot Keywords:

witness protection program | rogue agent | treason | railgun | x ray vision | 

---

Taglines:

He will erase your past to protect your future.

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent action throughout and some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sven-Ole Thorsen: Arnold Schwarzenegger's friend and frequent collaborator appears as a gunman towards the end of the film. He can be seen standing next to Petrofsky, wearing a blue jacket and firing a semi-automatic rifle.

---

Goofs

Possibly deliberate: When the EM gun is used in the attack on Lee's (Vanessa Williams) house, it needs to be plugged into a satchel battery to operate. In the climactic battle, none of the EM guns have a battery pack. This may be deliberate to indicate a prototype vs production model, or to show they can hold a limited internal charge.

---

Quotes

Robert: I want this town locked up so tight, it'll make his balls ache.

---

Alternate Versions

All previous UK cinema and video cuts were fully waived by the BBFC in February 2009, for a planned DVD/Blu-Ray release. This release never happened, but the uncut version is the version aired by 5* and TCM on TV in the UK.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Eraser (1997)

---

Soundtracks

Where Do We Go From Here
Written by Linda Thompson, David Foster, Evan Kopelson and Douglas Pashley
Produced and arranged by David Foster
Performed by Vanessa Williams
Courtesy of Mercury Records

User Reviews

Better than I remember

I just saw "Eraser" again, and I am suprised to find that I enjoyed it more than when I saw it before. It Delivers thrills, laughs and lot of action. Schwarzenegger is not Robert DeNiro, but he is likeable in his role here. The story is intriguing: A U.S. Marshall that erases peoples identities. This is not Schwarzengger's best movie but it is definitly worth a look.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eraser

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,566,446, 23 June 1996

Gross USA:

$101,295,562

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$242,295,562

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kopelson Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1